Everybody who has been there says that it’s one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam. If you want to see stirring rice fields, tranquil scenes and the real everyday life of Vietnamese people, Mai Chau is definately a place you should go.

We were enchanted by its charm. It is so different than hectic and busy Hanoi. Mai Chau is a place where you can relax and forget about worries of everyday life.

Mai Chau is not that crowded and that is one of reasons why it makes such a good impression. You can watch people working on the rice fields, cows or oxen walking with no chains or herdsmen’s supervision. What can be more beautiful than meeting with locals that don’t want you to buy something from them? Who are friendly, smiling and happy that a tourist came to their village.

We really loved this place and we hope to come back there in the future. There are some things that you need to know before going to Mai Chau tough. Below you will find the best tips for traveling to Mai Chau.

Mai Chau travel tips #1 Choose the right time.

Mai Chau may be very cold and rainy place! It is crucial to choose the right time for traveling there.

If you like hot, sunny weather, visit Mai Chau on October, November, March, April or May.

June to September is also a good choice but because of the monsoon season, it may be raining very often.

December, January and February are the coldest months to visit Mai Chau. But don’t worry if you plan to go there at winter! We visited Mai Chau in the middle of January and from the picture below you can see that it was pretty warm.

Remember that Mai Chau is beautiful all year long but not every weather is good for cycling or hiking.

Mai Chau travel tips #2 Take enough medicines.

Mai Chau is a small village, so don’t expect to find a doctor or good pharmacy there. The nearest hospital where they speak English is in Hanoi, 4 hours drive from Mai Chau.

Take all the medicines you may need to use. Be prepared for everything! Painkillers are must-have. Remember that the most common sickness for tourist in Asia are stomach illness. Take some antidiarrheal and anti-emetics drugs just in case.

Mai Chau travel tips #3 Have enough time.

We have been told that Mai Chau is pretty close from Hanoi- only 130 km. We thought that it will take 3 hours to get there.

But… of course it took long. There was a traffic jam and we made some stops on the way. It’s Asia! Everybody has time for everything. Don’t rely on the schedule time. If you need to be back in Hanoi at the exact time, come back one day earlier to avoid unnecessary anxiety or delay.

Mai Chau travel tips #4 Pack good clothes.

The most popular thing to do in Mai Chau is cycling and hiking, so sportswear is the best choice to pack!

Comfortable tracksuits and shoes are must-have.

If you are traveling during hot season, take sun-cream and hats. Sun may be very strong in Mai Chau!

During winter, it is good to wear a jacket or sometimes even cap, scarf and gloves.

Sunglasses will be useful all over the year, especially if you are planning to spend a lot of time outdoors.

Mai Chau travel tips #5 Support the locals.

Mai Chau is charming, idyllic village. People living there are friendly and nice. We, tourists, love places like this. That is why we should support their local economy and culture. We should show them that what they are doing is great and they should keep up this good work.

Mai Chau with Starbucks, McDonald’s and shopping malls won’t be the same. It will lose their charm and beauty…

Buying things like hand-made scarves from local women is a great way to support Mai Chau community.

Mai Chau travel tips #6 Take your camera.

Mai Chau is a great spot for photography lovers. Or even for those who don’t know how to take good photo. Mai Chau is beautiful enough to look great on any picture.

Mountains, rice fields and unbeaten bath are just calling to be explored!

If you are social media freak (just like us), buy local SIM card to be able to share your photos any time you want. Vietnamese SIM card doesn’t cost much (less than $10) and it’s a great help with communicating with the world.

It is not difficult to find 3G in Mai Chau but LTE or 4G is something you should forget about.

Mai Chau travel tips #7 Take enough cash.

Remember how we talked that there are no hospitals in Mai Chau? There are also no ATMs! At least we didn’t see any.

If you rely on paying by card or withdraw little amount of money everyday to cover your expenses, you will be disappointed.

CASH is something you should have in Mai Chau. ATMs are easy to find in Hanoi but not in the small Vietnamese towns.

Mai Chau travel tips #8 Choose the right place to stay.

It is really important to choose the right place to stay in Mai Chau. Not everywhere you will feel comfortable enough to be able to relax and enjoy spending time with locals.

We stayed there and we absolutely loved this place! It is both luxurious and eco which is very rare combination.

The lodge is pretty big but it doesn’t like to be considered as a ‘resort’. Everything what they did and from what the bungalows are made of are natural. The main goal of Mai Chau Ecolodge is to support local economy and take care of traditions.

If you will be travelling during hot season, you can also use the lovely Mai Chau Ecolodge swimming pool to relax even more.

Mai Chau travel tips #9 Be ready to try some delicious food!

Mai Chau people are descendants of immigrants from Thailand. Two main tribes White Thai and Black Thai are the biggest population of Mai Chau.

We are absolutely crazy about Thailand and Thai food, that’s why we loved everything we ate in Mai Chau.

Rice, noodles and soups are delicious there. You should also try Vietnamese oranges from the local orchards. They are so sweet and tasty! They also don’t have any preservatives that makes than extremely healthy.

Mai Chau travel tips #10 Stop on top before getting to the village to take some awesome photos from above.

The village of Mai Chau is situated on the valley but when going from Hanoi, you need to be on the top of the mountain first and then go down to the village.

Ask your driver to stop when you see the beautiful view like on the picture below.